Each year OBRA lead a variety of workshops, master classes and residencies for students and professionals at their base, Au Brana in Southern France and in numerous university and school structures across Europe and the UK. These sessions are an opportunity for performers and artists to engage with the specific approach to actor training and performance which the company has developed.

OBRA lead regular residential open research sessions. The company use these sessions to develop their practice, exchange with other artists or explore a particular research question, and the company open the work sessions to artists from any discipline.

2023 Workshops and Residencies

AU BRANA CREATIVE DEVELOPEMENT RESIDENCY – ’ABCD’

As part of a commitment to the support of new work and emerging practice, Au Brana offers an annual residence for two companies in its studio spaces with dormitory accommodation provided, for ten days. Applications are welcome from any individual, company, collective or group of artists (maximum 5 people) from any performance discipline with a focus on collaboration and new research.

This can take the form of:

• Practical research of a new training or performance approach
• An exchange of practice between different groups or individuals
• Cross-disciplinary encounters or hybrid artistic approaches
• A first meeting between collaborators

Please note that rehearsals or reworking of an existing performance will not be considered nor can you use this residency for financial gain (eg a public paid workshop).

CONDITIONS

Au Brana will provide 24 hour access to their studio space and accommodation in their dormitory with access to the kitchen/dining area. Successful applicants will be responsible for their own travel and food costs. Groups are limited to 5 people and we reserve the right to offer the development to two groups. For insurance reasons a €10 membership fee per visitor will be required to cover you in case of accidents during the residency.

You will be required to share your work in some form with the local public at the end of the residency; this could take any form ( work demonstration, round table, sharing of practice, lecture, free workshop etc ) Applicants will include the Au Brana logo in their future promotional material relating to the project.

WHEN?

The residency will take place over 10 days between August 14th – 25th 2023

HOW?

Download and complete the application form and include any additional material you feel is relevant to support your application, including links to past work and website where possible. 

Please send this to Oliviero at info@aubrana.com 

To apply please download an application form here: ABCD APPLICATION 23

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 1st – decision announced 15th May

 

26TH – 30 JUNE

OBRA TRAINING RESIDENCY 2023  

LED BY KATE HANNAH PAPI AND OLIVIERO PAPI- AU BRANA CENTRE, GERS

OBRA propose an immersion into the company’s rigorous and innovative approach to theatre training and making. OBRA’s practice engages in a dialogue between the physical life of the actor and language in performance and the relationship between individual artist and the ensemble in collective creation.

Founder members Kate and Oliviero will lead participants through the technical training and base principles for performance practice upon which the company’s work is founded. OBRA investigate how language can stimulate and generate action, and how physical life and external stimulus can be a springboard for language. For this session OBRA will propose texts from a variety of sources and guide participants in writing original language. The group will experience how these different texts and training tools can create and shape performance material for individuals and the ensemble.

The training will cover these main areas:

• Investigating flow state in relation to group and individual listening
• Improving performers’ proprioception and physical articulation
• Developing performers’ vocal technique for placement and articulation of voice for text
• Expanding individual and group awareness and sensitivity to rhythm
• Developing performers’ capacity to work with complex language
• Increasing performers’ capacity to generate their own texts
• Exploring approaches to creating physical material from multiple sources
• Working collaboratively with a director to map and shape text and action

OBRA’s practice enables the performer to work in a highly sensitive state of listening and simultaneity, bringing together precise physical and vocal technique and performance elements. OBRA ‘s approach embraces the complexity of the performance moment and seeks to use the difficulty of satisfying simultaneous tasks and spheres of attention to enable a flow state in the performer, one which can be sustained over a long duration.

The workshop invites participants to develop their personal practice and capacity to embody language, and offers a range of approaches to apply these skills to devising and performance. The work is rigorous, precise and demanding, led by a generous and supportive pedagogical team.

OBRA’s training is open to artists from all disciplines and performance backgrounds and does not require you to have a high level of physical fitness or training (you don’t have to be an athlete) as the proposed training allows each participant to develop from their current level.

The cost of the session is €400 which includes accommodation and food. All meals will be prepared on site by the participants, working on a roster system and aided by the Au Brana team, with all produce sourced in the local farmer’s markets. Participants will need to fill in an application form and pay a €100 deposit by 1st June to secure a place.

Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements and need to arrive on the 25th June and depart the 1st July. More detailed information for booking travel is provided upon receipt of application.

Please return your completed application form and send any questions to Oliviero at; info@aubrana.co

18TH – 22ND JULY 2023

FABIAN WIXE : DOING / DANCING

AU BRANA CENTRE, SW FRANCE

 

The class will be dedicated to technical and physical training; a mix of Flying Low (DZ) and other floor work. Fabian will also propose choreographic material with a focus on increasing speed and precision. The training will explore listening through the physical work; listening to the group and to oneself within a group, and how energy can be re-cycled and shared. Run with your heart rather than with your feet (they will follow).

Participants will also work through improvisation and composition; moving together, creating a space where we practice, explore, perform and ’fail’ without judging themselves or others. Fabian creates an environment in which dancers can be inspired and inspire each other, a place to see each other and to let oneself be seen.

In terms of composition Fabian will share methods that aim to remove the need for inspiration in order to be able to work, to provide tools to bypass one’s own sense of judgement in the creative process and to use what one knows in order to shape what one does not know yet.

A taste of the workshops from 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlnJiRSNBIc

Swedish born, Fabian trained as a circus performer at the Circus Space (UK) and at Le Lido (France), graduating in 2008. He has since then worked extensively across Europe and the world as both performer, teacher and choreographer. After years of working mainly within the field of circus, dance drew him back in, and this is now where his focus lies. 

The cost of the session is €400 which includes accommodation and food. All meals will be prepared on site by the participants, working on a roster system and aided by the Au Brana team, using produce sourced in the local farmer’s markets. 

Participants will need to fill in an application form and pay a €100 deposit by June 15th to secure a place. Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements, more detailed information for booking travel is provided upon receipt of application. 

Please return your completed application form and send any questions to Oliviero at; info@aubrana.com

 

24TH – 30TH JULY 2023

OBRA; SHOW IN A WEEK  YOUTH DEVISING WORKSHOP

14 – 21 yrs AU BRANA CENTRE, GERS

Led in French and English by Kate Papi and Oliviero Papi of OBRA Theatre Co, this is an opportunity to have a professional experience of devising a performance as a member of an ensemble, performing for a live audience.

Over the 6 days participants will receive essential elements of actor training, and learn how to work collaboratively with the other young artists. Together they will develop performance material based on a given source or provocation; devising all texts, physical actions, sound and scenic elements. The ensemble will be guided in all stages of the process and creation of the show, to be presented at Au Brana for a local audience. An exciting week of collaborative and creative work.

This work session is without charge thanks to the support of ADDA 32 and Le department du Gers.

Accommodation available upon request. For applications and more information please contact Oliviero at info@aubrana.com

If you would like to be added to the email list in order to receive our call outs and information, please write to Oliviero at info@aubrana.com